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Hospital Waiting Times

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) each health and social services board area and (c) each health and social services trust were waiting more than 18 months for hospital inpatient or day treatment in (i) June 2002 and (ii) June of each year since; and if he will make a statement. [195421]

Angela Smith: The most recent published waiting list data available shows the position at 30 June 2004. Data for quarters ending 30 June from 2000 to 2004 are as follows:
(i) Northern Ireland: Number of people waiting more than18 months for in-patient admission to hospital 1

Quarter ending 30 June	Number
2000	5,916
2001	6,877
2002	8,864
2003	6,655
2004	3,230

⁽³⁹⁾ Includes normal in-patients and day cases



(ii) Provider⁽⁴⁰⁾ health and social services board area: Number of people waiting more than 18 months for in-patient admission to hospital 2

	Quarter ending 30 June
Health board	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Eastern	4,790	5,380	6,214	4,455	2,302
Northern	280	425	754	820	178
Southern	810	1,021	1,859	1,304	715
Western	36	51	37	76	35

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Health board where the patient will be receiving treatment
⁽⁴¹⁾ includes normal in-patients and day cases



(iii) Health and social services trust: Number of people waiting more than 18 months for in-patient admission to hospital 1

	Quarter ending 30 June
Trust	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Mater Infirmorum	0	81	71	28	14
Belfast City	1,509	1,681	1,842	861	708
Royal Group	1,429	1,757	2,196	1,755	1,045
Green Park	948	1,000	1,130	845	147
UC and HT	862	852	965	953	386
Down Lisburn	42	9	10	13	2
United	167	226	424	428	177
Causeway	113	199	330	392	1
Craigavon Group	794	990	1,750	1,230	703
Newry and Mourne	16	31	109	74	12
Altnagelvin	32	35	33	72	35
Sperrin Lakeland	4	16	4	4	0

⁽⁴²⁾ Includes normal in-patients and day cases

I have set targets for 2004–05 that no patient has to wait more than 18 months for treatment by March 2005, and no more than 15 months by March 2006.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people waiting for hospital inpatient or day treatment (a) in Northern Ireland, (b) in each health and social services board area and
 
9 Nov 2004 : Column 672W
 
(c) each health and social services trust in (i) June 2002 and (ii) June of each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement. [195422]

Angela Smith: The most recent published waiting list data available show the position at 30 June 2004. Data for quarters ending 30 June from 2000–04 are as follows:
(a) Northern Ireland: Number of people waiting for in-patient admission to hospital 1

Quarter ending 30 June	Number
2000	49,995
2001	54,892
2002	59,951
2003	55,414
2004	50,975

⁽⁴³⁾ Includes normal in-patients and day cases.



(b) Provider⁽⁴⁴⁾ health and social services board area: Number of people waiting for in-patient admission to hospital 2

	Quarter ending 30 June
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Eastern	30,757	33,391	34,874	32,145	30,261
Northern	6,680	7,550	9,281	8,451	6,095
Southern	7,198	7,914	9,563	8,818	8,188
Western	5,360	6,037	6,233	6,000	6,431

⁽⁴⁴⁾ Health board where the patient will be receiving treatment.
⁽⁴⁵⁾ Includes normal in-patients and day cases.



(c) Health and social services trust: Number of people waiting for in-patient admission to hospital 1

	Quarter ending 30 June
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Mater Infirmorum	1,491	1,667	2,058	1,887	2,096
Belfast City	6,481	7,594	7,405	6,559	6,331
Royal Group	11,599	12,398	13,061	11,916	10,551
Green Park	4,983	5,106	5,360	4,882	5,185
UC and HT	5,340	5,732	6,004	5,925	5,078
Down Lisburn	863	894	986	976	1,020
United	5,122	5,402	6,553	6,222	5,263
Causeway	1,558	2,148	2,728	2,229	832
Craigavon Group	6,262	7,004	8,503	7,678	7,412
Newry and Mourne	936	910	1,060	1,140	776
Altnagelvin	3,750	4,027	4,017	4,164	4,853
Sperrin Lakeland	1,610	2,010	2,216	1,836	1,578

⁽⁴⁶⁾ Includes normal in-patients and day cases.

Considerable progress has been made in recent years in reducing the number of patients waiting and I am keen to see this sustained. I have set targets for 2004–05 that no patient has to wait more than 18 months for treatment by March 2005, and no more than 15 months by March 2006.

ICC Trophy Tournament

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance (a) his Department and (b) Government agencies are providing to aid preparations for hosting the ICC trophy cricket tournament in the Province in July 2005. [194982]

Angela Smith: No Northern Ireland Departments are directly involved in providing assistance to aid preparations for hosting the ICC trophy cricket tournament.
 
9 Nov 2004 : Column 673W
 

However, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Events Company are in discussions with the promoters of the tournament about possible assistance.

The Northern Ireland Tourist Board has issued an events marketing support scheme application to the organisers, which will be considered once it has been submitted.
 
9 Nov 2004 : Column 674W
 

Immunisations

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the rate of uptake of primary immunisations is for children aged 12 months in Northern Ireland. [195417]

Angela Smith: The rate of uptake of primary immunisations for children aged 12 months in Northern Ireland is shown for the four quarters of the financial year 2003–04 in the following table:

	Immunisation against:
Quarter ending:	Diphtheria	Tetanus	Polio	Pertussis	Haemophilus Influenza B	Measles, Mumps, Rubella	Meningitis C
June 2003	95.1	95.1	95.1	94.7	94.9	0.1	95.1
September 2003	95.1	95.1	95.1	94.7	95.4	0.0	95.6
December 2003	95.4	95.4	95.4	95.0	95.5	0.0	95.7
March 2004	94.4	94.4	94.2	94.0	94.5	0.0	94.7

Note:
The uptake rate is in respect of children who reached their first birthday during the relevant quarter.
Primary immunisation for measles, mumps and rubella is not normally given to children under 12 months of age.
The information is published on a quarterly basis.

Laurelhill School

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the South Eastern Education and Library Board has employed a public relations company to deal with public and media inquiries concerning the Laurelhill School dispute and the boards deficit; and if he will make a statement. [196876]

Mr. Gardiner: I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board that the board did not employ a public relations company in relation to the board's financial deficit. However, Laurelhill Community College, on the advice of the board, engaged a public relations company to assist it to deal with the national media attention which arose as a result of industrial action taken by teaching staff at the school.

Learning Disability

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in the Province with a learning disability are offered an annual health check; and what steps he is taking to increase this total. [194523]

Angela Smith: Annual health checks have not been routinely offered to people with a learning disability.

The terms of the recently revised GPs contract do not require the offer of annual health checks to patients who have a learning disability. However, GPs provide the same level of care to those with a learning disability as they do to other patients, when they present with a health problem.

The current independent review of mental health and learning disability has identified the physical health of people with a learning disability as an area for particular action. The review will be making a number of recommendations on the delivery of primary care services that would benefit people with a learning disability. The recommendations will inform the future development of these services.

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to increase the number of individuals with learning disabilities who are registered with a general practitioner. [194527]

Angela Smith: The independent review of mental health and learning disability, commissioned by the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety, is currently consulting on their report on learning disability "Equal Lives" and hopes to present their recommendations to Government early next year.

Among other things, the review has been examining the health and wellbeing of people with a learning disability. While the report finds that for many such people, the family GP plays a very significant role, it calls for a number of improvements to ensure access to the full range of health services for people with a learning disability. These will be considered once the report is presented to the Department.

Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are being taken to ensure that literature on health is provided in an easy-to-read format for those with learning disabilities. [194531]

Angela Smith: In line with its Equality Scheme, the Department makes its publications available on request in alternative formats to meet people's differing needs. In 2004 the Department issued good practice guidance to the Health and Personal Services on access to information. The Department is currently taking forward a project on providing health and social care information in accessible formats and this includes consideration of the needs of people with learning disabilities.

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